Episode Summary
Zhao Bingwen, fearing Zang Hai's discovery of the truth about the bronze fish, plans to act first. Zang Hai hosts a banquet, confronting Zhao Bingwen and identifying him as the third enemy who orchestrated his family's massacre. Zhao Bingwen confesses to his crimes, including killing Cao Jingxian and Shi Yiping, just before Zang Hai is arrested by Imperial Guards on the Emperor's orders. The Emperor, after a private conversation where Zang Hai reveals the bronze fish's location and Zhao Bingwen's treachery, is later found dead. Shi Quan (revealed as Lu Fen, Cao Jingxian's adopted son) had falsely accused Zang Hai, leading to his arrest, and was subsequently killed by Zhao Bingwen. Zhao Bingwen seizes the Gui Xi and bronze fish, frames Zang Hai for the Emperor's murder, and reveals his elaborate, decades-long scheme to Zang Hai. This scheme involved manipulating Zang Hai, Cao Jingxian, and Zhuang Luyin, stemming from their shared past at the Da Yong Academy, all to achieve his ambition of ruling the world. Meanwhile, Zang Hai's allies, Xiang Antu and Gao Ming, escape, and Zhao Bingwen's son, the Eighth Master, learns the shocking truth about his father's villainy from Xiang Antu.
Spoiler Alert
"Legend of Zang Hai" Episode 37 Recap & Spoilers:
In a tense turn of events, Zhao Bingwen, anxious that Zang Hai is close to uncovering the truth about the bronze fish, pressures Gao Ming to locate Zang Hai. Gao Ming, however, tries to buy more time, reluctant to see Zang Hai harmed. Losing patience, Zhao Bingwen decides he must strike first. Meanwhile, Zang Hai extends an invitation to Zhao Bingwen for a banquet, prompting Zhao Bingwen to set his own plans in motion with Shi Quan.
At the banquet, Zhao Bingwen arrives to a table laden with dishes prepared by Zang Hai. Gao Ming observes the conspicuous absence of Xiang Antu, Guan Feng, and Shi Lei. Zang Hai dismisses their absence with a vague excuse about an outing. Significantly, Zang Hai has prepared dishes that were his parents' favorites, and he directly confronts Zhao Bingwen, accusing him of repaying kindness with cruelty and identifying him as the third enemy responsible for his family's demise.
Zhao Bingwen remains composed under Zang Hai's accusations. Zang Hai reveals his investigation has uncovered that Zhao Bingwen, Zhuang Luyin, and Cao Jingxian were classmates at the Da Yong Academy. Realizing his meticulous planning had a flaw, Zhao Bingwen deduces that Xiang Antu, Shi Lei, and the others are lying in ambush outside, ready to assist Zang Hai in eliminating him. At this, Xiang Antu and Shi Lei make their presence known.
Cornered, Zhao Bingwen confesses. He admits to being the third enemy, the architect behind the massacre of Zang Hai's entire family. He also confesses to killing Cao Jingxian and stealing the Gui Xi artifact and the bronze fish. Furthermore, he admits to murdering Shi Yiping, claiming all his actions were for the sake of the Emperor. Just as the confrontation reaches its peak, Imperial Guards arrive, acting on the Emperor's orders to arrest Zang Hai, who surrenders.
The Emperor dismisses the guards, wishing to speak with Zang Hai privately. He confides in Zang Hai about the constant fear and paranoia that has plagued him since his ascension to the throne, expressing his shock over Kuai Duo's (Zang Hai's father) perceived betrayal. Zang Hai passionately defends his father, asserting that Kuai Duo died for a righteous cause. The Emperor then demands Zang Hai surrender the bronze fish, promising in return not to harm Zang Hai's companions. Zang Hai reveals the hiding place of the bronze fish, and the Emperor dispatches Sun Defang to retrieve it.
Zang Hai urges the Emperor to destroy the Gui Xi, warning that it could bring disaster to the world. He also reveals to the Emperor that Zhao Bingwen is his third and final enemy. Unbeknownst to Zang Hai, Shi Quan had already approached the Emperor, confessing his identity as Lu Fen, Cao Jingxian's adopted son. Lu Fen falsely accused Zang Hai of treasonously hoarding the bronze fish. The Emperor, believing Lu Fen's fabricated testimony, ordered Zang Hai's arrest. After making his report, Lu Fen was imprisoned and subsequently murdered by Zhao Bingwen to ensure his silence.
The Emperor instructs Sun Defang to summon Zhao Bingwen to the palace the following morning. That very night, the Emperor attempts to open the box containing the Gui Xi using the three bronze fish and glimpses the artifact within. Shortly thereafter, Zhao Bingwen visits Zang Hai in prison, his demeanor smug and triumphant. From Zhao Bingwen's words, Zang Hai realizes that a terrible fate has befallen the Emperor. Zhao Bingwen brazenly frames Zang Hai for the Emperor's demise and has Sun Defang and Xue Zhao arrested under the pretext of failing to protect the Emperor. He then boasts to Zang Hai that he now possesses both the Gui Xi and the bronze fish.
Zang Hai finally sees the full extent of Zhao Bingwen's treachery. Zhao Bingwen, no longer hiding his ambition, reveals his intricate scheme: he manipulated Zang Hai's thirst for revenge to make him steal the Gui Xi from the palace. He then had Cao Jingxian seize the Gui Xi from Zang Hai and planted it at Shi Yiping's residence. Afterward, he eliminated Shi Yiping, leading Zang Hai to believe Shi Yiping was the third enemy. Following this, Zhao Bingwen sowed discord between the Emperor and Zang Hai, coercing Zang Hai into revealing the location of the final bronze fish. Through this elaborate deception, Zhao Bingwen successfully acquired both the Gui Xi and all the bronze fish.
Zang Hai questions if Zhao Bingwen's supposed past friendship with his father, Kuai Duo, was also a facade. Zhao Bingwen admits that Kuai Duo had once spoken out justly on his behalf, but claims they had no written correspondence, nor did Kuai Duo ever write to him for help. He reveals that Zhuang Luyin had informed him that Kuai Duo found the Gui Xi in Dong Xia and was returning to the Capital. Zhao Bingwen immediately rushed back to the Capital and instructed Cao Jingxian to use his Factory Guards to conduct a city-wide search for Kuai Duo. However, Kuai Duo managed to use a secret passage to meet the Emperor. Zhao Bingwen then ordered Zhuang Luyin to massacre Kuai Duo's entire family, while hypocritically petitioning the Emperor, feigning a plea for mercy for Kuai Duo.
Zang Hai struggles to understand how Zhao Bingwen could manipulate both Zhuang Luyin and Cao Jingxian to such an extent. Zhao Bingwen reminisces about his early years at the Da Yong Academy. Born in a remote border town, he was driven by the ambition to become a court official. At the age of ten, he was admitted to the Da Yong Academy, a place predominantly filled with children of nobility. Due to his impoverished background, Zhao Bingwen was frequently bullied. When a group of nobles threatened to sever one of his fingers, Zhuang Luyin and Cao Jingxian intervened to help him. This act of solidarity led to the three of them being ostracized by their peers.
In retaliation, Zhao Bingwen, Zhuang Luyin, and Cao Jingxian confronted the noble who had tormented them, ultimately pushing him into a river where he drowned. Cao Jingxian, marked by a facial injury sustained during the altercation, fell under suspicion and was expelled from the Da Yong Academy. With limited options, Cao Jingxian entered the palace and became a eunuch, eventually rising to the powerful position of Chief Eunuch. Zhuang Luyin, through his military achievements, became a Great General. Zhao Bingwen, too, ascended the ranks, securing a powerful position within the Imperial Cabinet. He confesses that his ultimate goal in using Zang Hai to find the Gui Xi was to seize power and rule the world. Now, standing on the precipice of achieving his ambition, he revels in his perceived triumph, a sentiment Zang Hai meets with utter contempt.
Meanwhile, the Imperial Guards raid Zang Hai's residence, only to find it deserted. Xiang Antu, Gao Ming, and the others have already made their escape. The Eighth Master (Zhao Bingwen's son) secretly visits them. Xiang Antu, desperate for news about Zang Hai, inquires about his situation. When the Eighth Master mentions his intention to ask his father, Zhao Bingwen, about Zang Hai, Xiang Antu is forced to reveal the devastating truth: Zang Hai has been betrayed and harmed by none other than the Eighth Master's own father.
